Motherwell mum and daughter who have both overcome cancer set to take part in Race for Life in Glasgow
It will be a special moment when Lorraine Taylor, 64, joins her daughter Michelle Harris, 38, and her granddaughter Abby Harris, 17, on the start line of Cancer Research UK's Race for Life at Glasgow Green on May 18.
A Motherwell mum and daughter who have both overcome cancer are set to take part in Race for Life in Glasgow together to support others going through the disease.
It will be a special moment when Lorraine Taylor, 64, joins her daughter Michelle Harris, 38, and her granddaughter Abby Harris, 17, on the start line of Cancer Research UK's Race for Life at Glasgow Green on May 18.
The family have vowed to complete the 10k and are calling on people to join them.
Michelle, a teacher, recalled vividly her shock in November 2019 when she was diagnosed with skin cancer. After doctors gave her the news that she had malignant melanoma, she was helped through treatment by her family including her mum Lorraine.
And just 16 months later after Lorraine was diagnosed with breast cancer, Michelle stepped up to support.
Michelle said: 'Cancer turns lives upside down, steals precious moments and affects far too many of us.
'For me it's personal as both my mum and I have faced it. Mum and I have always been close. We talk almost every day and plan weekends away together.
'Mum was an amazing support for me when I was diagnosed and when mum faced cancer I was right there for her. Taking part in Race for Life is not just about the miles.
'It's about giving back to a cause that has given our family and so many others hope. Research means more people are getting through cancer.
'We're proud to support that, to cross the finish line in honour of those going through cancer right now and also in memory of some friends and colleagues we have sadly lost to cancer.'
Michelle, who is in remission, understands the devastation of a skin cancer diagnosis all too well. She was on a family holiday to Finland in the summer of 2019 when her husband Alistair Harris, 45, first flagged that a mole on her back had changed shape and was growing larger.
Michelle had noticed the mole had also become itchy. She visited her GP and was referred to University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie for tests which confirmed she had cancer.
Breaking the news to her children Abby, 17, and Kaden, 13, was tough.
Michelle said: 'I was very matter of fact and open when I told the children I had cancer.
'I explained that doctors had told me it was stage 2b melanoma so they had got the cancer early. Although I had to go through an operation I was going to be okay.
'I just had to get on with things. It was good the NHS were there to look after me so well and my GP was fantastic.'
Michelle had day surgery to remove the mole as well as lymph nodes from under her arms. She recovered well. No further treatment is now required but she has regular check ups on other areas of her body where there are moles.
She said: 'I think it's really important to raise awareness about skin cancer.
'I am fair skinned so I take extra care in the sun, make sure I'm covered in sun screen and seek shade when the sun is at its hottest.'
Michelle's mum, Lorraine Taylor who is also in remission from cancer had no symptoms when she attended a routine breast screening appointment which women in Scotland between the ages of 50 and 70 are invited to every three years.
A few weeks later, Lorraine was asked to attend the West Scotland Breast Screening Centre in Glasgow and in March 2021 she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
'I went to the appointment on my own which looking back on it I think was a mistake,' said Lorraine.
'I remember coming out of the appointment and feeling shell shocked as I called my daughter Michelle to give her the news. It was stressful at the time but in a way I actually felt lucky as screening meant they had caught the cancer early.
'Michelle was a great support to me and so was my husband Martin who came with me to appointments after that.'
Lorraine was scheduled for surgery in April 2021 but it was a blow when the Covid pandemic meant the surgery had to be delayed.
She eventually had the surgery at Kings Park Hospital in June that year followed by eight sessions of radiotherapy at the Lanarkshire Beatson in Airdrie.
She was prescribed the hormone therapy drug Tamoxifen and receives annual mammograms.
Lorraine's granddaughter, Abby Harris who has also recruited her pet dog Maze to take part in Race for Life is hugely proud of her mum and gran.
Abby said: 'My mum and my gran are both amazing, strong women and I'll be proud to be by their side at Race for Life Glasgow.'
*Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Britain morphing into ‘National Health State', says think tank
Britain is turning into a 'National Health State', a think tank has said after the Chancellor gave the NHS a major funding boost in her spending review. The health service was the big winner of Wednesday's spending review, receiving an extra £29 billion per year for day-to-day spending and more cash for capital investment. Overnight, the Resolution Foundation said Rachel Reeves's announcements had followed a recent trend that saw increases for the NHS come at the expense of other public services. Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: 'Health accounted for 90% of the extra public service spending, continuing a trend that is seeing the British state morph into a National Health State, with half of public service spending set to be on health by the end of the decade.' Defence was another of Wednesday's winners, Ms Curtice said, receiving a significant increase in capital spending while other departments saw an overall £3.6 billion real-terms cut in investment. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) made similar arguments about 'substantial' investment in the NHS and defence coming at the expense of other departments, although the think tank's director Paul Johnson warned the money may not be enough. He said: 'Aiming to get back to meeting the NHS 18-week target for hospital waiting times within this Parliament is enormously ambitious – an NHS funding settlement below the long-run average might not measure up. 'And on defence, it's entirely possible that an increase in the Nato spending target will mean that maintaining defence spending at 2.6% of GDP no longer cuts the mustard.' Ms Curtice added that low and middle-income families had also done well out of the spending review 'after two rounds of painful tax rises and welfare cuts', with the poorest fifth of families benefiting from an average of £1,700 in extra spending on schools, hospitals and the police. She warned that, without economic growth, another round of tax rises was likely to come in the autumn as the Chancellor seeks to balance the books. She said: 'The extra money in this spending review has already been accounted for in the last forecast. 'But a weaker economic outlook and the unfunded changes to winter fuel payments mean the Chancellor will likely need to look again at tax rises in the autumn.' Speaking after delivering her spending review, Ms Reeves insisted she would not have to raise taxes to cover her spending review. She told GB News: 'Every penny of this is funded through the tax increases and the changes to the fiscal rules that we set out last autumn.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
The NHS will receive £6bn in funding. Here's how it will be used
Rachel Reeves has pledged a £6bn investment to accelerate NHS tests and treatments, following substantial budget increases. The funding aims to provide new scanners, ambulances, and urgent treatment centres, delivering up to four million more tests and procedures in five years. This investment supports the government's goal of reducing NHS waiting lists in England, with Labour aiming for 92 per cent of routine operations to be carried out within 18 weeks. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the investment will generate millions more diagnostic tests, scans, and procedures, building on 3.6 million extra elective care appointments already delivered. Health leaders are sceptical, with Matthew Taylor of the NHS Confederation warning that the £29bn increase may not cover rising costs and guarantee waiting time targets, while Sarah Woolnough of the King's Fund questions how all NHS needs can be met with this settlement alone.
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
MS for Delyn provides several updates in this weeks column
MS for Delyn Last week in the Senedd, I paid tribute to those at the heart of our communities during Volunteers Week – volunteers, groups and organisers who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Whether it's Mold Community Clubhouse & Gardens, hospital leagues of friends or Walk & Talk Today in Ffynnongroyw, their work matters and makes a difference – and, during Pride Month, let's also celebrate the people powering our local Pride events, such as the first ever Flint Pride last year and Prestatyn Pride last weekend. In the Senedd debate, I called on the Welsh Government to build on its support for volunteers not just with funding, but through creative partnerships that help more people get involved. You watch all my questions in the Senedd on my Facebook page at The NHS matters to us all. Last week in the Senedd I talked about the challenges that remain for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, but also the positive progress that we are seeing being made – two-year waits are down by 67 per cent over the last three years, more than 12,000 patients have come off the two-year wait list and the new Llandudno orthopaedic hub is on track to make a difference when that opens later this year. This demonstrates the difference additional funding makes, thanks to having two Labour governments working together. But investment alone isn't enough, it also takes system change and that won't work without our incredible NHS workforce. That's why during a debate in the Senedd last week, I called for reassurance that staff on the ground will be fully supported and involved in shaping the improvements we all want to see. NHS staff are key to turning around the health board – I am hopeful that we are heading in the right direction, but of course there is a lot more work to do. It was a real pleasure last week to attend the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Community Awards ceremony on Thursday evening. The awards recognise individuals and organisations who are making a difference and making life better for victims, for communities and supporting the police in their work right across North Wales. It was especially lovely to see the work of Louise Rudd and Heather Williams and all the team at Walk & Talk Today in Ffynnongroyw rightly recognised in the Community Champion Award. A few years back now, I joined them at the opening of their first premises and, since then, I've seen them go from strength to strength, making a real and lasting difference to the village and surrounding area. Llongyfarchiadau Walk & Talk Today! Regular readers will know that I'm passionate about amplifying young people's voices – young people are truly the future of Wales and politicians aren't always good at listening to what they have to say. Here in Wales, we have the Welsh Youth Parliament which gives young people the chance to represent their communities from their own perspectives and recently I discovered a podcast entitled 'Get Informed and Get Involved', which has been made by the Youth Voice Network for Wales. If you like podcasts, it's worth a listen – the young presenters tackle how young people can navigate social media, how to tell the difference between reliable information and misinformation and give tips on how to get involved in democracy. I recently met with campaigners from the League Against Cruel Sports and Animal Aid to discuss the urgent need to end the caged breeding of game birds in Wales. Every year, tens of thousands of pheasants and partridges are kept in tiny, wire-mesh cages and are denied the ability to move freely. There are currently no specific regulations protecting these birds and no routine inspections of game bird farms in Wales – despite public opposition and clear welfare concerns, progress has stalled for years. Residents from across my constituency have been in touch about this issue asking for real action. Wales must follow through on its commitments to animal welfare and ban cages for breeding game birds. Finally, I had the chance on Friday to visit Theatr Clwyd to see Tick, Tick… Boom, the first performance in the newly-transformed theatre which will run until June 28 – the venue is operating a phased return so that it could stay open longer during the building work. The transformation was made possible with support from Flintshire County Council, the Arts Council of Wales and £22m of Welsh Government funding and I have to say it's a stunning building which will continue to serve our communities here in North East Wales for many years to come – the new-look theatre, restaurant, community facilities and landscaped areas around it will make the theatre even more of an asset to our area. As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don't hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don't need to wait for an advice surgery.
